Aquatic toy

ABSTRACT

The invention is a toy for use in a body of water, e.g., a bathtub, a pool or the like. The toy comprises a body typically in the shape of submarine, fish or aquatic mammal, e.g., a whale. The toy normally has a negative buoyancy in water and is pivotally mounted in water with its pivot point located intermediate its ends. Means are provided for feeding air to the lower side of one end of the body. The body is adapted to trap sufficient air to impart positive buoyancy to that end, whereupon the buoyant end rises in the liquid and causes the toy to pivot. The gas trapped in the buoyant end is released when that end has risen to a predetermined level.

United States Patent 1191 Clough, Jr.

1 Jan.30, 1973 1 1 AQUATIC TOY [75] Inventor: Roy L. Clough, Jr.,Bristol, N.H.

[73] Assignee: Xodar Corporation, Warwick, R1

[22] Filed: April 21, 1972 2] Appl. No.: 246,227

Primary ExaminerAntonio F. Guida Assistant ExaminerRobert F. CuttingA!t0rneyRobert .1. Schiller et al.

[57] ABSTRACT The invention is a toy for use in a body of water, e.g., abathtub, a pool or the like. The toy comprises a body typically in theshape of submarine, fish or aquatic mammal, e.g., a whale. The toynormally has a negative buoyancy in water and is pivotally mounted inwater with its pivot point located intermediate its ends. Means areprovided for feeding air to the lower side of one end of the body. Thebody is adapted to trap sufficient air to impart positive buoyancy tothat end, whereupon the buoyant end rises in the liquid and causes thetoy to pivot. The gas trapped in the buoyant end is released when thatend has risen to a predetermined level.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures AQUATIC TOY This invention relates to awater toy and more particularly to a device for use in a body of watersuch as a bathtub, a pool and the like.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a new water toy.

An additional object is to provide a novel water toy that is relativelysimple, can be made at modest cost and is safe and durable.

A further object is to provide a novel water toy which may be used as anaeration device in aquariums.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an action toy whichrequires active participation by the user.

The foregoing and other objects hereinafter described or renderedobvious are achieved by means of a water displacing body, typically inthe shape of a submarine, fish or aquatic mammal, which is adapted to bepivotally disposed in a body of water, e.g., a bathtub, swimming pool orthe like. The body normally has a negative buoyancy in water and isballasted or mounted so that one end falls in the water. Means areprovided by which air can be injected below the ballasted end, e.g., bythe breath of the user, and the body is adapted to trap the air underthe ballasted end so as to render that end buoyant, whereby theballasted end rises in the water and causes the body to pivot. The bodyis further adapted to release air trapped under the ballasted end as itrises whereby the ballasted end again assumes negative buoyancy andconsequently begins to fall. The body pivots cyclically in the waterwhen air is introduced continuously.

Other features and advantages of the invention are described or renderedobvious in the following detailed description which is to be consideredtogether with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of an embodiment of a watertoy constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the water toy of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a side view, partly in section, of a modifica tion of theinvention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the illustrated water toy is shaped anddecorated to resemble a whale. Thus it comprises an elongate hollowcylinder-like body 2, a tail 6, fins 7 and eyes 8. The toy also includesa centrally located baffle plate 10 that is located within and extendstransversely of the longitudinal axis of body 2. Preferably the baffleplate 10 extends completely across the interior of the body and dividesit into two separate compartments A and B. The body is pivotally mountedto a support structure 14 which in the embodiment shown is in the shapeof an S hanger comprising end members 16 and 18, top and bottom members20 and 22, and side member 24. This is accomplished by means of an axleor pivot shaft in the form of a hollow pipe 26 that is affixed to theend member 16 of the S-shaped hanger and extends through aligned holesin opposite sides of the body 2. The axle is located at approximatelythe middle of body 2, but on one side of the battle l0, i.e., incompartment A. The body 2 is rotatable on axle 26 and is restrainedagainst sidewise movement by spacers 28 mounted on the axle. One end ofaxle 26 is closed off by end cap 30; the other end is coupled to aflexible hose 32. That portion of pipe 26 located within the body 2 hasa series of spaced holes 34 located in a line.

The body has a relatively small discharge opening 36 in its top wall atthe front end of compartment A, and a relatively large discharge hole 37in the bottom wall of that compartment. Another discharge hole 38 isalso provided at the rear end of body 2. The bottom of compartment B isopen as shown at 39.

The body 2 and the support structure 14 have a negative buoyancy inwater. By way of example but not limitation, the body 2 and supportstructure 14 all may be made of metal or a plastic material. Preferredare non-toxic shatter proof plastics. If necessary, as when the body 2or its supporting structure is made of a light weight plastic, theapparatus may be ballasted as by metal weights (not shown).

It is also desirable for the body 2 to be slightly unbalanced on thepivot shaft so as to assure that compartment A is heavier so that itwill commence to oscillate as hereinafter described upon introduction ofair. If the body is not lightly unbalanced, ballast, e.g., in the formof lead weight 44, is secured to the body in compartment A.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention. The embodimentof FIG. 3 differs from that of FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the supportcomprises a free standing base 50 to which is affixed uprighttelescoping members 52a and 52b. Members 52a and 52b are hollow and havea plurality of aligned holes 54 into which a pin 56 is removablyinserted. Base 50 may be solid; alternatively, it may be hollow andfilled with a suitable ballast, e.g., sand, so that the base togetherwith the pivotable body will have a negative buoyancy in water. Thehollow axle 26 is mounted in the upper vertical hollow member 52b andprojects laterally from the latter far enough to permit the body 2 to berotatably mounted thereon in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. Theheight of the body 2 above the base may be adjusted by telescoping themembers 52a and 52b and locking them together by pin 56.

Use of the toy will now be described. The toy is mounted in a pool ofwater, e.g., in a bathtub, so that the body 2 is at least partlysubmerged. The hanger 14 may be hung over the edge of a bathtub whilethe base 50 of FIG. 3 will rest on the bottom of the tub. Compartments Aand B fill with water and compartment A will fall due to its greaternegative buoyancy as a result of ballast 44. The user then blows airinto the free end of hose 32. Since the body is inclined, all the airwill first tend to be concentrated in compartment A adjacent baffleplate 10. The air introduced will displace the water in compartment Aaway from the baffle towards the discharge openings 36 and 37. As theamount of air supplied is increased and displaces more of the water outof compartment A via opening 37, compartment A will begin to assume apositive buoyancy and will begin to rise, i.e., the body will pivotclockwise. TI-Ie body will continue to pivot in this direction untilsuch time as compartment A has moved up far enough for the air trappedin compartment A to reach hole 36, at which time the air will commenceto escape through the hole. Compartment A will then commence to againfill with water and it will begin to drop. As compartment A drops, waterand air escape through discharge hole 36. Notwithstanding, continuedinflow of air from hose 32 will again commence to be concentrated incompartment A whereupon the incoming air will again cause compartment Ato rise and the body to pivot in the manner described above. The bodywill thus pivot about axle 26 in a cyclic manner with a frequencydepending on the number, size and position of holes 36, 37, the volumeof the compartment A, and the rate of incoming air.

It is to be noted that hole 36 serves two functions. The first functionis to determine the angle to which the body will pivot before the airtrapped by compartment A is allowed to escape. The second function is torelease the air in small bubbles as compartment A begins to fall so thatthe toy whale will blow-off water. Also, when the toy is used in a waterwhere there is soap on the surface, the toy may blow bubbles. It will beappreciated that the hole 36 can be omitted, in which case the body willtend to pivot to a greater angle in the water until such time as the gastrapped in compartment A can escape from hole 37.

It is further to be noted that holes 38 and 39 serve to allow water topass freely through compartment B as the body pivots. It will beappreciated that holes 38 and 39 can be omitted and compartment B sealedand ballasted to equal the density of water. While the toy will thuspivot in a cyclic manner without holes 38 and 39, it is not as desirablesince such arrangement may be more expensive to manufacture, and mayhave more drag in the water.

While the pivot axis has been shown as parallel to the baffle, it willbe appreciated that the two do not need to be so aligned. However, thebaffle should be adapted to direct air to compartment A of the body asherein described. It also is obvious that the pivot axis need not be atthe midpoint of the pivotally mounted body.

In the above description it is contemplated that the pivotal body bepositioned slightly below the water level in the tub so that its endsalternatively rise out of the water as it oscillates on its pivot axle.It should be understood however, that the toy will function whilecompletely submerged since air trapped in the chamber A will escape fromthe vent hole 36 or via the hole 37 when the head end of the body risesto a suitable level.

Of course, it is not necessary that the pivoting body be shaped as awhale as shown. Thus, for example, the

body may be shaped in the form of other sea creatures such as porpoise,sailfish and the like, or the body can be in the shape of a submarine.It will be seen from the foregoing that in addition to'being a source ofamusement the device of the present invention can be used as adecorative aerating device for aquariums and the like. In suchembodiment a continuous air feed such as air pump may be attached to thefree end of hose 36. Still other advantages are believed to be obviousto persons skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A water toy comprising a body in the shape of a fish or aquaticmammal that normally has a negative buoyancy in water;

support means pivotally supporting said body with its pivot locatedintermediate its ends so that said body can undergo a seesaw motionwhereby one of said ends is alternatively higher and lower than theother of said ends: said body being umbalanced so that one endnorreleasing air comprises one or more holes at said one end.

3. A toy according to claim 2 wherein said body also has holes at saidother end so that water can flow through said other end. 7

4. A toy according to claim 1 wherein the pivot axis of said body islocated to one side of its center of gravity.

5. A toy according to claim 1 wherein said support means comprises atubular axle on which said body is relatively mounted, said tubular axlehaving at least one hole through which air can be injected into saidbody.

6. A toy according to claim 5 wherein said body includes a baffle fordirecting air injected via said tubular axle into said one end thereof.

1. A water toy comprising a body in the shape of a fish or aquaticmammal that normally has a negative buoyancy in water; support meanspivotally supporting said body with its pivot located intermediate itsends so that said body can undergo a seesaw motion whereby one of saidends is alternatively higher and lower than the other of said ends: saidbody being umbalanced so that one end normally falls; said body alsobeing adapted to trap at said one end a quantity of air sufficient toexert a positive buoyancy force to said end and having means forreleasing the air trapped at said one end when said end is higher thanthe other end thereof so as to eliminate the positive buoyancy forceexerted by said trapped air, and means for directing air to said oneend.
 1. A water toy comprising a body in the shape of a fish or aquaticmammal that normally has a negative buoyancy in water; support meanspivotally supporting said body with its pivot located intermediate itsends so that said body can undergo a seesaw motion whereby one of saidends is alternatively higher and lower than the other of said ends: saidbody being umbalanced so that one end normally falls; said body alsobeing adapted to trap at said one end a quantity of air sufficient toexert a positive buoyancy force to said end and having means forreleasing the air trapped at said one end when said end is higher thanthe other end thereof so as to eliminate the positive buoyancy forceexerted by said trapped air, and means for directing air to said oneend.
 2. A toy according to claim 1 wherein said means for releasing aircomprises one or more holes at said one end.
 3. A toy according to claim2 wherein said body also has holes at said other end so that water canflow through said other end.
 4. A toy according to claim 1 wherein thepivot axis of said body is located to one side of its center of gravity.5. A toy according to claim 1 wherein said support means comprises atubular axLe on which said body is relatively mounted, said tubular axlehaving at least one hole through which air can be injected into saidbody.